Thursday, January 31, 2013

Now, Warne calls for new coach for Australia

Shane Warne called on Australia coach Mickey Arthur to be replaced by former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming days after branding the nation's cricket chiefs "muppets".

The outspoken leg-spinner, who said he was "frustrated on many levels at present", praised Fleming as "the

best opposition captain we played against" on his website.

"I believe he brings a lot to the table, a calmness, an intelligent understanding of the game and a very good cricket brain. He's a good communicator too as well as a good leader of men."

Warne, 43, who also wants former Test wicketkeeper Rod Marsh as chairman of selectors, said the current Australian set-up was not working as the players gear up for two Ashes series against England over the next year.

In a post entitled "Where is Australian cricket at? Part 1" on his website, Warne said: "The next 12 months is the biggest 12 months of cricket for the Australian cricket team in a long, long time.

"If we do nothing now, we will be where we were 30 years ago. There needs to be urgent action and a new strategy/plan put in place."

In Twitter comments on Monday, Warne blasted Cricket Australia's policy of rotating players, which has attracted stinging criticism from other greats of the game.

Source: http://feeds.hindustantimes.com/~r/HT-Cricket-TopStories/~3/YByT0yMtqoY/story01.htm

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UP spokesman: Tornado warning issued, conductor applies brakes, train blows off tracks

ROCKVIEW, Mo. -- Dozens of rail cars have derailed in Rockview, located between Chaffee and Scott City. A spokesman for Union Pacific said it is believed that last night's winds knocked the train off of its tracks at about the same time that tornado warnings were issued in the area.

A hazardous materials team is on the scene only as a precaution, the spokesman said. The train was hauling automotive parts.

The train was a Union Pacific train, but Burlington Northern Sante Fe was helping with cleanup because it shares the track with UP.

Mark Davis, spokesman for Union Pacific, said the derailment happened at approximately 9:20 p.m. No injuries were reported. The three-locomotive train was headed to Mexico from Chicago hauling 112 rail cars. It was described as an intermodal train which hauls ocean-going containers on flat cars.

The conductor was slowing the train down due to a dispatcher report of tornado warnings in the area when the emergency brakes were engaged.

There is no timeline on the cleanup process or when the track will be reopened. Approximately 800 feet of damaged track that will need to be repaired and replaced. Heavy equipment arrived early Wednesday morning to begin putting the cars back on the track.

A Union Pacific employee, who would not speak on the record because he is not authorized to talk to the media, said 48 cars had derailed.

At least three cranes are on the scene clearing up the wreckage.

The rail cars were piled on one another, off the tracks and pointing in different directions.

Check back later for more information and photos at www.semissourian.com.

Source: http://www.semissourian.com/story/1936236.html

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a letter to my pretties (vintage pop up sale this saturday) ? Orange ...

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Dear Pretties,

Hi. How are you? I?m fine, thanks.

Here?s the thing. I?m the best at finding cool things but I am the worst at having space for them. (This tiny house has limits.) (So does my husband, and, well, YOU KNOW.) I couldn?t leave you in the thrift store/garage sale/flea market because in the moment that I saw you, I knew you. And you completed me. You had me from hello. I?m just a girl, standing in front of a thrift store, asking you to love me. All that jazz.

So I brought you home, and then I shoved you in the garage. I am so sorry. I have hoarded/coddled you for months (and years). Would you like to see the light of day? I think you might.

How will I ever say good-bye to you?

I promise to find you a home filled with sunshine and laughter.

And maybe some babies or dogs. Hopefully some homemade cookies and incense.

All I know is, the time has come to say goodbye and find someone who will love you for reals. Someone who can take care of you better than I can.

It?s time to share the love, Pretties! Are you ready for your wild adventure?

I AM!

Love always, your birth mom.

***

Today I was organizing for the sale on Saturday and the light in the garage was so pretty and I just had to take some photos. I have said my goodbyes. I am ready to do this. I am so excited to see how it goes. I love a good experiment. I love the act of finding something special for myself. I have found that I REALLY LOVE the act of finding something special for someone else. I am looking forward to branching out and taking this dream one step forward.

Hope you can make it!

VINTAGE/HANDMADE POP UP SALE
SATURDAY FEB 2 2-6

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND ADDRESS

Source: http://tarawhitney.com/justbeblogged/2013/01/a-letter-to-my-pretties-vintage-pop-up-sale-this-saturday/

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Singer Chris Brown to be questioned over alleged punch: police

(Reuters) - R&B singer Chris Brown will be questioned as part of an investigation into allegations that he punched a man during a fight over a parking space in West Hollywood, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said on Monday.

Deputies responded to a call on Sunday about a fight involving six men on Santa Monica Boulevard, the department said. Witnesses said the Grammy-winning singer had assaulted a man during the brief altercation.

No arrests were made. The alleged victim was not named in a department statement that said Brown and his entourage had left the scene before deputies arrived.

Investigators plan to contact the singer about the incident at a later time, according to the department.

Brown, 23, is serving a five-year probation sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting fellow R&B star and former girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the 2009 Grammy awards.

(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/singer-chris-brown-questioned-over-alleged-punch-police-140912237.html

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The Engadget Interview: Daniel Graf talks Google Maps for iOS (video)

The Engadget Interview Daniel Graf talks Google Maps for iOS

"It has been a wonderful success for us," says Daniel Graf about Google Maps for iOS. Originally from Switzerland, Graf worked for Leica and Phillips, and went on to co-found video service Kyte before landing at Google in 2011. There, he ran the mobile apps lab before taking the role of director of Google Maps for mobile, where he oversees the Android and iOS versions of the iconic mapping app. We recently got the chance to spend a few minutes with Graf at Google's Mountain View headquarters to discuss the iOS app, which launched last December. He's clearly passionate and proud of his work: "It has been an interesting project, because we got the opportunity to start from scratch." Graf explains that the Android version "is actually seven years of history, seven years of product, [...] seven years of user experience. On iOS, we didn't have those seven years so that gave us a chance to take a step back and say. 'Hey, what would be the next-generation mobile mapping experience?'" Read on after the break.

With iOS 6, Apple ended its partnership with Google and experienced some growing pains with its own mapping app. Still, even in iOS 5, the app only offered a fraction of the functionality provided by Google Maps for Android -- lacking voice guidance and 3D views, for example. Graf and his team set out to create an iOS app that wouldn't just catch up with the Android version, but would also showcase the direction the company was taking in terms of user experience. "When Larry [Page] came on board as CEO two years ago, he talked about beautiful experiences and we had very functional and very useful experiences and in term of beauty I think there was work to do," says Graf. "Now two years later if you actually use our product on desktop, on Android, on iOS there's a theme there ... there's a design language there, and I would say actually they're beautiful."

It's not just Google Maps for iOS that's been revamped. Over the past nine months, the company's been busy updating its mobile apps across the board with a more cohesive look and feel. It all started with Google Now -- launched alongside Jelly Bean at Google I/O -- followed by Google+ on both platforms, and more recently GMail and Google Maps on iOS. Interestingly, the Android version has not (yet) been updated to reflect the new design language. The iOS app makes extensive use of info sheets similar to those used in Google Now. "Given the feedback we have gotten from our audience about the user experience here, I would say this is kind of the direction we want to move forward," says Graf. "It's way more use-case driven ... It should actually happen based on your actions."

DNP  Interview with Daniel Graf, director of Google maps for mobile

We asked Graf what challenges his team encountered while building Google Maps for iOS. "With a mapping app, it's actually similar to a gaming app because the map you see here, the 3D rendering we have here, so you need a 3D renderer; you need an engine for that, and that was new for us -- a 3D renderer for iOS." The iOS app is written in Objective C (versus Java on Android) and required fine tuning: "To get that to a performance [level] where we have it now, that was definitely a technical challenge." But there was another hurdle on iOS: "There's no common login infrastructure like we have on Android -- hopefully that's coming." When pressed whether this is a political issue (related to Apple's stringent app requirements) Graf mentions that "it's a business decision, but it's a technical challenge as well."

Despite being more polished than its Android counterpart, Google Maps for iOS lacks some features, such as Latitude (it's a separate app). Graf admits that "it would be quite interesting to see your friends on the map within Google Maps for mobile." For this version, however, it was important to simplify: "We obviously wanted this app out before the holidays, which we managed to do in December, so there was a lot of time pressure to get it out but we didn't want to make compromises so we said is let's focus on the key use cases which I think we nailed." We inquired about how much Google Maps development is cross-platform. "Of course we have an Android team; we have an iOS team; we have different platform teams and they work very closely together," says Graf. "You do want basically the best experience possible for a platform, so you probably have to develop native." Watch the full video interview above.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/lne9r4F4cLM/

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Italy's comeback kid Berlusconi defends Mussolini

Vincenzo Pinto / AFP - Getty Images

Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, seen giving a speech during a campaign rally in Rome Friday, appears to have shrugged off recent scandals.

By Claudio Lavanga, Producer, NBC News

ROME -- He is the comeback kid of Italian politics, but Silvio Berlusconi's attempt to revive his career is under the spotlight after he defended fascist wartime leader Benito Mussolini at a ceremony for victims of the Nazi Holocaust.?

The former prime minister said Mussolini's decision to echo Nazi Germany's anti-Jewish laws had been his "worst fault" as a leader "who in so many other ways did well."

He said: "It is difficult now to put yourself in the shoes of people who were making decisions at that time. Obviously the government of that time, out of fear that German power might lead to victory, preferred to ally itself with Hitler's Germany rather than opposing it."

The remarks, given?to reporters in Milan on Sunday, prompted outrage from many quarters in Italy and overseas.

?He has lost the plot," said David Patsi, president of the Italian school Dante Alighieri in Jerusalem and whose father was killed in a concentration camp. "He is an idiot. But I am not surprised. Sometime he even reminds me of Mussolini."

He added: "But I don?t think he is the problem. The problem is that a large number of Italians agree with him.??

That helps explain why Berlusconi could still make his comeback, despite a track record would have forced almost any other politician to retire from public life.

In November 2011, he was forced to resign as prime minister after it became clear that his denial of the economic crisis was bringing Italy to the brink of disaster.

In October last year, he was sentenced to four years in prison for an epic offshore tax fraud, put off pending appeals to higher courts.

And, if that weren't enough, he is still on trial for allegedly paying an underage exotic dancer for sex.

His popularity hit an all-time low and the 76-year-old with a net worth of almost $6 billion --?according to Forbes magazine -- might have been expected to retire to one of his many mansions.

But he was simply waiting for the chance to strike back in the flamboyant style that won him three terms as prime minister.

Following the resignation of Mario Monti -- the technocratic prime minister who replaced him in 2011 promising to reinvigorate Italy's languishing economy -- Berlusconi has done what he does best: He carpet-bombed the Italian media with guest appearances, clocking up an impressive 63 hours of airtime in only 21 days.

In essence, it's as if during the recent U.S. presidential election, former president George W. Bush was given more airtime than Barack Obama and Mitt Romney combined.

Crisis 'wasn't my fault'
Seems inconceivable, but then Italy has always been an exception in the Western world, and flamboyant and media-friendly Berlusconi, even as an outsider, draws a bigger audience than his closest competitors combined.

Officially, Berlusconi is not actually running as a candidate prime minister -- because this was the price it took to persuade the Northern League party to join?Berlusconi's People of Freedom party in a coalition.

But a good result in the elections could mean that all bets are off.

Karima el Marough, better known as "Ruby the Heart Stealer," was called to testify over allegations that former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi paid to have sex with her when she was still a minor. NBC's Claudio Lavanga reports.

?Italy?s economic crisis wasn?t my fault. It was the consequence of the wider international crisis,? a defiant Berlusconi recently told a TV host, before he refused to apologize for previously denying the extent of the crisis.

It would seem to be an uphill task for Berlusconi to win the premiership for a fourth time -- in polls his coalition is trailing the center-left Democratic Party by at least 12 points.

But, after his TV onslaught, Berlusconi's bloc saw its poll rating rise by 3 percentage points.

Berlusconi 'very clever'

Italians are tired of painfully high unemployment rates, rising taxes, tax-evasion clampdowns and plummeting spending power.

But it remains to be seen whether they really believe Berlusconi when he claims that the economic crisis wasn't his fault and that his tax-cutting strategy is the solution.

?Berlusconi has been very clever. He stepped aside when the new government introduced very unpopular austerity measures and has come back in the limelight only now, saying that the cure was worse than the illness,? Maurizio Caprara, a journalist for the daily Corriere della Sera, said.

?Now he is trying to rally again his troops. Many became disillusioned following his many scandals, but many, as the polls show, may decide to give him one more try,? he added.

Monti recently called Berlusconi the "Pied Piper of Hamelin," who ?leads the mice to drown in the river, having fooled Italians three times already.?

And yet, at least according to his recently rising popularity, many Italians seem to find his tune irresistible.??

Related:

Italy's 'bunga bunga' man Berlusconi, 76, unveils girlfriend, 27

Witness: Italian ex-PM Berlusconi hosted strippers dressed as nuns

Woman dressed as burlesque Obama for Berlusconi, court told

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/29/16697505-italys-comeback-kid-berlusconi-defends-wartime-fascist-mussolini?lite

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Thousands join funerals after deaths in Egypt port city

CAIRO (Reuters) - Gunshots rang out in Port Said on Sunday as people packed the streets for the funerals of 33 protesters killed at the weekend in the city, part of a wave of violence that has compounded challenges facing President Mohamed Mursi.

Some in the crowd chanted for revenge or shouted anti-Mursi slogans and teargas was fired in the vicinity, a witness said by telephone, adding that he heard emergency vehicle sirens after the shots were fired.

"Our soul and blood, we sacrifice to Port Said," people chanted, as the coffins were carried through the streets.

There were no immediate reports of further casualties in the city, where 33 people were killed on Saturday when residents went on the rampage after a court sentenced 21 people, mostly from the city, to death for their role in a deadly stadium disaster in Port Said last year.

Elsewhere in Egypt, police fired teargas at dozens of stone-throwing protesters in Cairo in a fourth day of clashes. Protests in the capital and other cities erupted at the end of last week over what the demonstrators say is a power grab by Islamists two years after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.

The protesters accuse Mursi, elected in June with the support of his Muslim Brotherhood group, of betraying the democratic goals of the revolution. Since protesters hit the streets on Thursday, 42 people have been killed, most in Port Said and Suez, both cities where the army has now been deployed.

The violence adds to the daunting task facing Mursi as he tries to fix a beleaguered economy and cool tempers before a parliamentary election expected in the next few months which is supposed to cement Egypt's transition to democracy.

It has exposed a deep rift in the nation. Liberals and other opponents accuse Mursi of failing to deliver on economic promises and say he has not lived up to pledges to represent all Egyptians. His backers say the opposition is seeking to topple Egypt's first freely elected leader by undemocratic means.

"BLOOD BEING SPILT"

"None of the revolution's goals have been realized," said Mohamed Sami, a protester in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday.

"Prices are going up. The blood of Egyptians is being spilt in the streets because of neglect and corruption and because the Muslim Brotherhood is ruling Egypt for their own interests."

On a bridge close to Tahrir Square, youths hurled stones at police in riot gear who fired teargas to push them back towards the square, the cauldron of the uprising that erupted on January 25, 2011 and toppled Mubarak 18 days later.

The U.S. and British embassies, both close to Tahrir, said they were closed for public business on Sunday.

The army, Egypt's interim ruler until Mursi's election, was sent back onto the streets to restore order in Port Said and Suez, which both lie on the Suez canal. In Suez, at least eight people were killed in clashes with police.

Egypt's defense minister who also heads the army, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, called for the nation to stand together and said the military would not prevent peaceful protests. But he called on demonstrators to protect public property.

Many ordinary Egyptians are frustrated by the regular escalations that have hurt the economy and their livelihoods.

"They are not revolutionaries protesting," said taxi driver Kamal Hassan, 30, referring to those gathered in Tahrir. "They are thugs destroying the country."

CALL FOR DIALOGUE

The National Defence Council, headed by Mursi, called on Saturday for national dialogue to discuss political differences.

That offer has been cautiously welcomed by the opposition National Salvation Front. But the coalition has demanded a clear agenda and guarantees that any agreements will be implemented.

The Front, formed late last year when Mursi provoked protests and violence by expanding his powers and driving through an Islamist-tinged constitution, has threatened to boycott the parliamentary poll and to call for more protests if a list of demands is not met, including having an early presidential vote.

Egypt's transition has been blighted from the outset by political rows and turbulence on the streets that have driven investors out and kept many tourists away, starving the economy of vital sources of hard currency.

Egypt's pound has been hit hard by the turmoil, steadily weakening against the dollar despite efforts by the central bank to slow the fall and preserve foreign reserves now at critical levels. The latest violence has added to investors' concerns.

The Port Said clashes erupted after a judge sentenced 21 men to death for involvement in 74 deaths at a soccer match on February 1, 2012 between Cairo's Al Ahly club and the local al-Masri team. Many of the victims were fans of the visiting team.

There were 73 defendants in the case. Those not sentenced on Saturday will face a verdict on March 9, the judge said.

Al Ahly fans cheered the verdict after threatening action if the death penalty was not meted out. But Port Said residents were furious that people from their city were held responsible.

(Additional reporting by Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/riots-over-egyptian-death-sentences-kill-least-32-005245042.html

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Crunchy Green Salad

crunchy salad

I have a nasty habit of skipping lunch. I don?t do it deliberately; I just honestly forget to eat. Not only is this is uber bad for the old blood sugar levels (read: cranky lady) but it makes me crave the stuff I shouldn?t be eating (chocolate) and over eat when I do get around to feeding myself.

And lately I?ve been feeling bloated and tubby. No surprise that it comes after the month of December with all the food, visiting parents, alcohol, running around, food, presents, wine, and more food? So it is definitely time for a diet reset.

My goal is to eat a healthy lunch every day. Ergo, I will be adding more salads in my life.

Fortunately I loooove veggies! I really like crunchy veggies; they make a really satisfying sound. I like steamed veggies, saut?ed veggies and even some boiled veggies. Kale, spinach, celery, romaine, sugar snap peas, Swiss chard, beets, you name it I?ll eat it! And I?ve never met a salad bar where I couldn?t fill up my plate completely with all the cool extras like sunflower seeds, hot peppers, olives and cheese.

So here is my first foray into making salads more fun at home; I call it Crunchy Green Salad. This is a salad that my kids like too because of that satisfying crunch. And the olives. They?ll eat anything with olives.

Crunchy Green Salad

3 Romaine lettuce leaves chopped
1 stalk of celery finely sliced
5-6 sugar snap peas chopped
A handful of green olives (optional or more/less to taste)
1-2 Tbsps slivered almonds
You can also add some chunks of soft cheese to this; goat, brie etc for a little added protein.

Dressing:
Use your favourite dressing or try this creamy green dressing. I don?t exactly measure when I make salad dressing, I just adjust until it tastes good.
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 heaping teaspoon chimichurri sauce or minced fresh herbs
2 Tbsp Cider vinegar
2-4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
I pour all ingredients into a glass jar and shake shake shake! Add as much or as little as you like to the salad, toss and enjoy.

Source: http://www.familyfuncanada.com/crunchy-green-salad/

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Heat Shock Proteins May Shed New Light on a Variety of Debilitating Diseases

Jan. 28, 2013 ? UCLA researchers, in a finding that runs counter to conventional wisdom, have discovered for the first time that a gene thought to express a protein in all cells that come under stress is instead expressed only in specific cell types.

The group, from the Jules Stein Eye Institute and UCLA Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, focused on ?B-Crystallin, a small heat shock protein. Heat shock proteins are a class of functionally-related proteins involved in the folding and unfolding of other proteins. Their expression is increased when cells are exposed to taxing environmental conditions, such as infection, inflammation, exercise, exposure to toxins and other stressors.

?B-Crystallin may be associated with certain cancers and could be developed into a biomarker to monitor for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, age-related macular degeneration, heart muscle degeneration and clouding of the eye lens. Any discoveries about how this protein is regulated and its molecular biology may reveal potential targets for novel therapies, said study first author Zhe Jing, a research associate in UCLA Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

"If you use a certain cell type, this protein can be induced when the cells are stressed, but that doesn't happen in a different cell type," said Jing. "This novel finding does conflict with what has been thought, that this protein could be induced in any cell type."

The findings of this two-year study are published in the most recent issue of the journal Cell Stress and Chaperones, a peer-reviewed journal in the fields of cell stress response.

The UCLA team did the study using four cell lines -- two epithelial cells lines and two fibroblast cells lines. They found that the protein cannot be induced by stress in epithelial cells, in which 80 percent of cancers arise. It can, however, be induced in the fibroblasts that make up muscle tissue.

The significant finding in this investigation is that, in certain cell types, only one specific heat shock factor controls the expression of ?B-Crystallin. For example, in the epithelial cell lines, it is heat shock factor 4 (HSF4), while a different heat shock factor, (HSF1), plays this role in the fibroblast cells lines.

In the past, the data has indicated that a heat shock factor could control the expression of ?B-Crystallin randomly and equally. However, Jing's discovery overrides this rule. His findings strongly suggest the "preference" of the ?B-Crystallin to heat shock factors in certain cells may be correlated with its versatility to various diseases.

"Considering the multiple roles of ?B-Crystallin in so many diseases, the access of the HSF1 and HSF4 to the ?B-Crystallin gene dictated by the certain cell type may be what is helping to cause certain diseases," Jing said. "If we can uncover the cascade of events that result in disease, we may be able to come up with strategies to block or interrupt that cascade."

Going forward, Jing and the research team will validate what they found in this study by examining single cells, which provides a greater challenge but may lead to further discoveries.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences, via Newswise.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Zhe Jing, Rajendra K. Gangalum, Josh Z. Lee, Dennis Mock, Suraj P. Bhat. Cell-type-dependent access of HSF1 and HSF4 to ?B-crystallin promoter during heat shock. Cell Stress and Chaperones, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s12192-012-0386-7

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/hjNlftasC14/130128163338.htm

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Un peu de math...: A review of a book about Teaching and Learning

"Approaches to Learning: A Guide for Teachers" by Jordan et al.
This is the 3rd post in my blog series reviewing a bunch of education literautre. The other posts can be found here:
  1. "When good teaching leads to bad results: The disasters of well taught Mathematics courses" by Alan Schoenfeld
  2. "A quick-start guide to the moore method" by Mahavier et al.
  3. "The inverted classroom in a large enrolment introductory physics course: a case study" by Simon Bates and Ross Galloway
For the first time I've reviewing an entire book: The book looks at various aspects of learning, indeed the early chapters talk about various pedagogic models as well as educational philosophy. It is well written and has a great conclusion section at the end of every chapter highlighting some of the main ideas and implications for educators.

Here's a list of the Chapters (I'm not going to get sued for that right?):

  1. Philosophy of education
  2. Behaviourism
  3. Cognitivism
  4. Constructivism
  5. Social Learning
  6. Cultural Learning
  7. Intelligence
  8. Life course development
  9. Adult learning
  10. Values
  11. Motivation
  12. The learning body
  13. Languages and learning
  14. Experiential and competency-based learning
  15. Blended learning
  16. The future
As you can see it covers quite a lot of stuff. The first chapter describes Educational Philosophy and covers ideas such as Empiricism and Socratic dialog. I enjoyed reading this chapter quite closely as I hadn't thought philosophically about education in a rigorous way before.

I posted one particular quote I liked here on G+:

"Even in distance or online learning contexts, it is important to create a learning environment that allows for the possibility of multiple interpretations in order to guide learners towards a better understanding of concepts."
I liked the quote but asked if it was relevant to Mathematics, is there room for interpretation in the meaning of a theorem?

+Theron Hitchman?responded by saying that in fact he often discussed the interpretation of everything in class, including theorems (Theron, I apologise for paraphrasing you). I thought that was pretty cool as it must be an immediate way to gain feedback as to the understanding of theorems (not just their proofs).

I've read the first 4 chapters pretty closely and there are some great things in there. In particular I think it's helped me identify myself as a Social Constructivist and I like the idea of a Zone of Proximal Development described by Vygotsky.

I've actually attempted (with quite a low level of confidence) to "summarise" the first 4 chapters in the following picture:

There's obviously far too much in this book for me to review it in further details but other chapters I though were interesting included the blended learning chapter which talks about the use of technology in the classroom (although most of the stuff in there is pretty basic I feel). The final chapter talks about what the Teacher of the future "will be". I won't say anymore but I'll just put down one quote that I thought was awesome:
"If knowledge can be accessed in a multiplicity of ways, then learners will choose teachers for their ability to engage, both with the knowledge and the learning. It will require a different set of aptitudes from the teacher, requiring artistry rather than a set of technical skills. Teachers will have a role in motivating learners through personal coaching, and in scaffolding support learners in their personal projects. Teachers will be freed from knowledge transmission or duplication, to act as critical friends and guides for learners."
Conclusion

I think this book really is great. Lots of stuff in there looking at various aspect of teaching and learning. Further more each chapter has a bunch of other references which prove the book to be a great reference text to have on my bookshelf (shame that there's no kindle edition...).

Here's my "PCUTL Mark" out of 10 which I'm using to say how useful this piece of literature is to me in the scheme of my pcutl portfolio (so it's not meant as a reflection of the quality of the paper which is subjective):

PCUTL Mark: 9 (As far as utility to my portfolio is concerned, I doubt I'll find more useful as I need to specifically consider various pedagogic models which are all nicely explained in this book.).

Source: http://drvinceknight.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-review-of-book-about-teaching-and.html

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Video: Casey Anthony: I am only worth $1,100

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50605202/

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Sunday, January 27, 2013

DMHSA - 2012 Highlights, 2013 Goals

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Guam News - Guam News

Guam - The DMHSA has released the following report highlighting its accomplishments in 2012 and its goals for 2013.

Department of Mental Health - "Your Community Behavioral Health Center?

MISSION STATEMENT:

To provide comprehensive inpatient and community-based outpatient mental health, alcohol and drug programs, and services for the people of Guam and to continually strive to improve, enhance, and promote the physical and mental well-being of the people of Guam who experience the life?disrupting effects of mental illness, alcoholism, and drug abuse, as well as those who are at risk of suffering those effects and who need such assistance; and to provide such assistance in an efficient and effective manner in order to minimize community disruptions and strengthen the quality of person, family and community life. (P.L. 17-21, 10 GCA Chapter 86 & 93, Budget Acts)

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

I. INCREASE THE COMMUNITY?S CAPACITY IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR TO SUPPORT, SERVE, AND TREAT INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES SUFFERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF MENTAL ILLNESS & SUBSTANCE AND/OR ALCOHOL ABUSE.

Objective l: Recruit and hire allied health professionals to include, but not limited to, Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Behavioral Specialists and Social Workers.

Obiective 2: Continue to implement Crisis Intervention Program for individuals and families.

Objective 3: Continue to implement a Community Outreach and Support Program.

Objective 4: Continue to implement Respite Care Program.

Objective 5; Develop additional funding sources to support community?based programs in tandem with Government agencies to include BBMR, DOA and the Guam State Clearinghouse.

Objective 6: Update and implement a? Maintenance Plan for facilities.

Objective 7: Create programs that are ready for community-Based implementation as noted in the Comprehensive Implementation Plan and the Guam Strategic Plan for the Expansion of System of Care for Children/Youth with Mental Health Challenges and their Families.

Objective 8: Federal Management Team's Plan of Action

II. PROVIDE THE MOST APPROPRIATE TREATMENT, SUPPORT, PLACEMENT, AND LEVEL OF CARE FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS REOUIREING THE SERVICES OF THE DEPARTMENT.

Objective 1: Implement multi-disciplinary team in all patient treatment planning.

Obiective 2: Improve behavioral programs for patients with co-occurring disorders.

Objective 3: Develop appropriate programs to expand the professional capacity and workforce development such as Counselors, Psychiatric Nurses, and Psychiatric Technicians for education and training.

Ill. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY?S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS.

Objective 1: Implement the Guam System of Care Unified Expansion Plan.

Objective 2: Implement the Client Satisfaction Survey.

Objective 3: Conduct community needs assessment.

Obiective 4: Continue the following programs:

Program Target Group Services


Objective 5: Provide for a new Day Treatment Program as part of the Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program.

Objective 6: Provide for Residential Behavioral Treatment for adult consumer found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI).

IV INCREASE AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND LEVEL OF CLIENT/PATIENT CARE.

Objective 1:? Reduce the caseload ratio of counselors and case managers per client/patient where warranted. Increase efficiency in those areas identified.

Objective 2:? Hire critically needed clinical vacant positions.

Objective 3: Improve current written policies and procedures.

Objective 4: improve and increase availability of medical records.

Objective 5: Upgrade medical charting and record keeping standards.

Obiective 6: Increase staff development and clinical training.

Objective 7: Conduct periodic quality review of services and programs and implament recommendations that improve and correct deficiencies found.

IMPACT STATEMENT:

The department continues to be impacted dramatically on all facets of the organization due to increasing demands of federal and local mandates. Program mandates are affected by federal laws that are enacted to address program weaknesses and enforcements. DMHSA strives to provide the best level and quality care and ensure a safe and healthy environment for both patients and statt, with available resources, as well as to explore other means that will support and maintain objectives. Critical and vital objectives of main concern and calling for greater attention:

* Availability of qualified clinicians and support staff recruitment retention.

* Current ratio of consumers (clients/patients) to professional care providers of services and the level of care, type of service, and treatment they need that must be addressed in the multi-disciplinary determination process.

* Availability and access to services provided by other departments such as the Department of Integrated Services for Individuals with Disabilities (DISID), GHUHA Housing, Food Stamps, Welfare, Public Health, Child Support Services, etc.

* Community support for residential, group homes, and other programs in the neighborhood.

* Overall mental health of our community and address the issue of stigma.

* Funding from federal grants and other sources.

* Cultural milieu of island regarding conceptualization of mental health.

DMHSA is constantly facing shortages in critical clinician position mostly because of the lack of qualified professionals on the island (i.e., psychiatrist, counselors, pharmacist, and nurses). Although the department has made some progress at acquiring the services of these professionals, much more needs to be done.

Funds for medical supplies have been made available but pharmacy stock level are still being addressed due to a lack of adequate local suppliers and the cumbersome procurement regulations that govern psychotropic medications. The department is still focusing on refining the process within the confines of regulations so the DMHSA may readily obtain the medications required for consumers in the most efficient manner.

Continued funding for implementation of the DMHSA Comprehensive Implementation Pian is also critical to meet minimum care and national Olmstead requirements.

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

We envision that through ?Caring Communities,? DMHSA will be the forefront health care service provider. Major accomplishments have already been made and are listed as follows:

* Implementation of the Direct Support Provider Program.

* Continuation of reducing the residential Wait List.

* Implementation of the Guam?s Comprehensive Implementation Plan that provides community services and supports for proper placement of individuals with disabilities in the least restrictive settings.

* Improvement of our Management information System (MIS), which sets to successfully implement electronic recordkeeping of clients? records, electronic filing of documents, and provide for paperless filing of records.

* Organization and implementation of Muiti?discipiinary teams to comply with the mandates of the Amended Permanent injunction.

* Opening of four new group homes.?

* Authority to bill and collect for adult fees and services through P. L. 31-239.

* Capital improvement projects on?going or near completion are for the facility cable system, entry cover and reception waiting room area, recreation area cover, window refurbishment, furniture for ward and out-patient waiting area, exterior lighting for parking lots, electric lights re-wiring, maintenance storage building, and exterior painting to name a few major projects.

*? Completion of the updated Guam Profile 2011 on Substance Abuse and Suicide.

* Development of Mass Media Campaign and Training for Suicide Prevention.

* Establishment of Governor?s Executive Committee for System of Care through Executive Order 2012-16.?

* Fees and services for Children Adolescent Services Branch authorized by Public Law 31-274.

* Read Flag/Green Flag presentations conducted in 9 local elementary schools.

* Nurse examiner recognized and received the National Sexual Violence Flesource Center?s 2012 Visionary Voice Award and the received National Recognition Citation from the Governor?s MagPro Awards.

Summary

The Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse operations covers an array of many important and critical purposes. They range from providing the best level of health care services to the development of a ?road map? to continue the ?TFlANSFOFlMATlON? to community-based, consumer and family driven continuum of services and support. Through the adoption of the concept ?Caring Communities?, our families are given the opportunity to have a ?voice" of their service delivery.

These priorities include sustainability of our operations that include recruitment and retention of critical staff, encumber?ng contractual obligations, and securing potential outsourcing of programs.

The department?s operational needs are based on local and federal mandates that must be focused on by every government body who participate inthe sphere of mental health care from the community (mayors), to hospitals/clinics/DPHSS, to judicial services, and all others that affect the success or failure of service delivery for behavioral (mental health) care. Our mission can only be achieved successfully through the positive contributions of all who influence in some way the outcomes of DMHSA efforts. Federal audits, lawsuits, and court orders mandate services must be fulfilled to avoid injunctions and penalties and further adverse actions through inactions. DMHSA continues to work with available resources to ensure continuing
compliance of the amended permanent injunction and the plan of action. Funding for the plan is currently being provided by the U.S. District Court order for deposit of stipulated installments specific to the implementation of the plan as scheduled by the Federal Management Team.

Our services are provided throughout the Community starting with the intake process at our main facility in Tamuning, auxiliary services at our satellite offices in Hagatna and referrals to the appropriate living and treatment centers throughout the Community rendered by a staff of 191 GovGuam employees and an array of contracted service providers. More information and related resources for "Your Community Behavioral
Hea/th Center? can be found at www.dmhsa.ouam.oov. www.oeaceouam.oro and www.icareouam.oro

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Prevention and Training Branch 2012 Highlights

Grants Acquired

Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Grant (Youth Suicide Prevention) (FY? 2015)
Substance Abuse and Prevention Treatment Block Grant (Ongoing)
State Prevention Enhancement Planning Grant (FY 2012 - FY 2013)
FDA State Tobacco Compliance Check Inspection Grant (FY 2013)
Synectics - SEOW (FY 2011-FY 2013)

Focus on Life - Suicide Prevention and Earlv Intervention?

Goals:
1. Establish and/or improve Guam's surveillance and centralized monitoring and reporting system for capturing data on suicide attempts and deaths, as well as other intentional self-harming that is reportable by identified private and public sector partners;

2. Strengthen public, private and community-based partnerships with the development of culturally relevant suicide prevention resources and training for responding effectively to the community?s identified needs for suicide prevention and education, early intervention, and treatment services;?

3. Strengthen Guam?s 24-Hour Crisis Hotline services with the hiring of full-time staff and recruitment and training of community volunteers;

4. Implement culturally appropriate evidence?based suicide prevention policies, programs, and practices among Guam?s key stakeholders; and,

5.. Evaluate the program effectiveness to reduce preventable injuries and suicides and attempts on Guam.

Objectives:
1. Increase community awareness and understanding that suicide is a public health problem that is preventable;

2. Develop broad-based support for suicide prevention in the development and implementation of culturally appropriate, evidence?based prevention programs, policies and practices;

3.. Develop and implement strategies to reduce the stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention services;

4. Develop and implement culturally appropriate, evidence-based community?based suicide prevention programs;

5. Promote efforts to reduce access to lethal means and methods of self-harm;

6. Implement training for recognition of at-risk behavior and delivery of effective treatment;

7. Develop and promote effective clinical and professional practices;

8. lmprove access to and community linkages with mental health and substance abuse services?

9. lmprove reporting and portrayals of suicidal behavior, mental illness, and substance abuse in the entertainments and news media;

10. Promote and support research on suicide prevention; and,?

11. Improve and expand on Guam?s Suicide Surveillance and Monitoring System.?

Accomplishments to Date:

*Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and safe TALK
*23 trainings hosted
*Certified 248 individuals in ASIST and 185 in safeTALK
*Gathering of Native Americans (GONA)
*1 training hosted
*25 individuals completed 4-day workshop
*13 individuals continued for certification to become trainers
*Holiday Crisis Hotline
*Trained at least 10 new community volunteers to be hotline responders
*Received 15 calls, with issues of relationship problems, grief, needing medical assistance, sexual abuse and social problems
*Other outreach presentation and display
> Participated/Hosted 11 outreach presentations at schools, through non?profit organizations, and in partnership with other government agencies
> Includes suicide prevention forum hosted by the UOG?s |?Pinangon Suicide Prevention Program
> Had a total audience of 962 youth and adults

PEACE State Prevention Enhancement

Goals:
1.Prevent or reduce consequences of underage drinking and adult problem drinking;
2. Prevent suicides and attempted suicides among populations at risk, including military families and
3. Reduce prescription drug misuse and abuse;
4. Enhance state workforce development; and
5. Develop and enhance Government of Guam policy and funding to support needed services for mental health and substance abuse system improvements.

Objective: To develop a five-year comprehensive plan for PEACE; To bridge the prevention infrastructure with the mental health system of care, Guam?s SPE for PEACE will establish systematic linkages between Guam?s substance abuse and mental health infrastructure that will highlight the correlation between tobacco use, alcohol abuse, mental illness and suicide risk.

Accomplishments to Date:

Completion of four Mini Action Plans for PEACE SPE centered around Data, Coordination of Services, Training and Technical Assistance and Evaluation

Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant

Goal:

The Prevention & Training Branch staff provides technical assistance, training and resources to policy makers, program managers, community coalitions (faith and school-based), and public and private sector leaders in an effort to empower community-based program leaders with tools and opportunities to effectively reduce the incidence and prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and other drug?related problems, and to promote overall health and wellness. This Branch adopted the public health model of prevention that recognizes that prevention is a lifelong process and attempts to reduce both the supply of and the demand for alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Prevention programs and services involve the use of six strategies: 1) information Dissemination, 2) Education, 3) Alternatives, 4) Problem Identification and Referral, 5) Community-Based Process, and 6) Environmental and Social Policies.

Objectives:

1) To annually update Guam?s Substance Abuse Epidemiological Profile, 2006 and A Profile of Suicide on Guam, January 2009;

2) To document process and outcomes in the implementation of Guam?s Comprehensive Strategic Prevention Framework Plan and the collaborative work accomplished with Guam?s Community Coalitions for Prevention and Early Intervention;

3) To maintain and update the Prevention and Training Branch website: www.peaceguam.org as well as an annual Mass Media Educational Campaign on Prevention;

4) To develop and implement evidence-based prevention programs for Guam?s targeted communities that are based on established data?driven, substance use priorities (tobacco and alcohol), cultural appropriateness and relevant strategies;

5) To implement Guam?s Comprehensive Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention, entitled ?Focus on ?

6) To strengthen Guam?s workforce in the public and private sector and in particular to increase and sustain a pool of Certified Prevention Specialists, Tobacco Cessation Program facilitators and trainers for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASlST);

7) To strengthen program components for evaluating process and outcomes and to utilize these findings to improve and sustain prevention and training branch services; and

8) To establish MOUs with key public and private sector partners in an effort to leverage available resources and to sustain positive outcomes as a result of established prevention programs, policies and practices implementation.

Accomplishments to Date:

*Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training
> 1 training hosted
> 19 individuals completed a 5-day training
*Youth for Youth LIVE! Guam? Annual Conference
* Attended by approximately 60 youth leaders and 400 participants (middle and high school students) from Guam, CNMI, and Native American tribes
*Substance Abuse Prevention Mini-Conference
* Hosted 1 mini?conference, in partnership with Jose Rios Middle School
*Attended by at least 10 youth leaders and 53 student participants
*SYNAR Tobacco Compliance Inspection
*98.3% of establishments licensed to sell tobacco were covered in the inspection; that is 328 or 337 total establishments
*93.1% were found in compliance to tobacco retail laws
*22 on-site citation issued and fines assessed, in partnership with the Alcoholic Beverage Control at the Dept. of Revenue and Taxation
*One Nation Liberation Day Parade
*31 families pledged to host? panies/tents at the parade route
*29 families of the 31 were confirmed to be in compliance
*Responsible Beverage Skills Training
*7 individuals participated in a 2-day training of trainers, 3 of them represented the Prevention and Training branch of DMHSA
*Other outreach presentation and display
*Participated/Hosted 11 outreach presentations at schools, through non-profit organizations, and in partnership with other government agencies
*Includes town hall meetings on underage drinking hosted by non-profit organizations such as Astumbo Middle School Parent-Teacher Organization, *UOG Student Services Office, Christian Life Center, St. Jude Confirmation Class.
*Had a total audience of 789 youth and adults
*Youth Summer Water Safety Instruction Program
*35 youth leaders (age 12 through 18) and 201 youth participants (age 5 through 15) completed this 6-week summer program
*Non-Communicable Diseases Consortium
*The department was well-represented in two committees of the NCD Consortium - Alcohol Abuse
*Prevention and Tobacco Abuse Prevention
*Stress Management Workshops
*Hosted 2 Stress Management workshop in partnership with the Dept. of Administration
*Trained a total of 86 individuals
*Media Campaign
Continued to produce and implement media campaigns and youth-oriented talk shows:
o Youth Talk Today! (in partnership with Sorensen Media Group)
o One Nation, Alcohol-Free campaign
o Focus on Life Suicide Prevention campaign

FDA State Tobacco Enforcement

Goal: To enforce FDA?s new regulation that prohibits retailers from selling cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to children under 18,

Synectics - State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroug iSEOW)

Goal:?

To promote the strategic use and dissemination of data for informing and guiding Guam?s substance abuse prevention and behavioral health promotion policy and program development, decision-making, resource allocation and capacity building.

Objectives:

1.Systematically collate and analyze relevant data (including but not limited to consumption and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use, and risk and protective factors for mental health) to delineate and better understand the magnitude and nature of substance abuse and
mental illness on Guam and to effectively and efficiently utilize resources for substance abuse prevention and behavioral health promotion

2. Promote data? driven decision making across all stages of the Strategic Prevention Framework throughout the State substance use prevention and mental health system

3. Strengthen and build capacity and data infrastructure for effective data utilization for substance abuse prevention and behavioral health promotion

4. Facilitate inter-agency and community collaboration to optimize the exchange, access, and utilization of data across organizations and stakeholders working on substance abuse prevention, mental health promotion and other related fields

5. Provide technical support to key health policy and program leaders, and community stakeholders to promote cross-systems planning, program integration, implementation and monitoring for substance abuse prevention and mental health promotion.

Accomplishments:

Development of Guam?s SEOW Charter and continued partnerships with SEOW members in the annual updates, production and distribution of Guam?s 2011 Epi-Profile on substance abuse and suicide.??

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I Famagu'on-ta Child Adolescent Services Division 2012 Highlights


To establish a unified System of Care across all of Guam's child serving agencies which includes a broadly supported, sustainable array of home and community-based services that enables children and youth to achieve their maximum potential building on the strengths of Guam's diverse families, provided by skilled providers trained with System of Care values, principles and best practices.

Goals

1.Raise awareness of Guam's child and adolescent mental health needs.

2. Reduce the stigma of mental illness and increase referral of mental health services.

3. Promote systems of care and wraparound for positive child/youth development, recovery and resilience.

Significant Accomplishments

1 January-February, 2012. Hired four personnel for the System of Care Expansion Planning Grant, a $500,000 federal grant award to develop strategic plan unifying and expanding Guam System of Care for children/youth with mental health challenges and their families.

2. March, May and September, 2012. Held 3 planning summits to accomplish the development of a Guam, unified and expanded system of care for children and youth with mental health challenges and their families. This will bring /Famagu?on?ta and Project Kar?nu together as a unified system of care for children from birth to 18 years of age.

3. October, 2012: The Guam strategic system of care expansion plan was finalized pending printing for distribution.

4. October, 2012: lnitiation of the Saturday column on children mental health and related topics in the Pacific Daily News.

5. November 8, 2012. Governor Eddie Baza Calvo signed the Executive Order No.2012-16 establishing the Governor?s Executive Committee For System of Care. This will be publicly presented when the Guam Strategic Pian on System of Care Expansion booklet is ready for distribution. Anticipated date is February 2013.

6. December 4, 2012. The artwork on ?System of Care Through the Eyes of Children?, a 5 large? mural was completed and exhibited at the Guam Council of the Arts and Humanities Gallery in Hagatna. This is the work of young people with the guidance of their art teachers. This project was
funded through a CAHA grant awarded to lFamagu'on?ta.

7. SERENITY Horne, a step down/transition and respite home for adolescent with mental health challenges successfully transitioned one of the residents into a therapeutic foster care placement.? Altogether, DMHSA has 3 therapeutic foster care homes for our special needs children/youth.?

8. December 26, 2012. /Famagu?on?ta Children Adolescent Services Division Fee Schedule was signed into law. This fee schedule allows for the Medicaid billing of system of care type of services as well as private insurance billing.

9. December 28, 2012: Celebrated our 13th annual Christmas Cheer for our children/youth and their families at /Famagu?on-ta Office. Over 190 children/youth and their families attended. Donations from numerous businesses were used for this event.

Goals and Events for 2013

1. To publicly announce the creation of the Governor Executive Committee for system of care.

2. To Launch a new website for children?s services at www.icareguam.org

3. Conduct 2 presentations at the NASW Social Work Conference on: (1) The System of Care Expansion Plan, and (2) Training on the Core Content of the Crisis Counseling Program (CCP).

4. To continue the implementation of the Guam SOC Expansion Plan

5. To hold the 13th annual Art of Healing Project artwork display of students from K-12 grade during mid April and mid May. April is the Young Child Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month and early May is Children Mental Health Week. The artwork will be on display at the Agana shopping center.?

6. To reclassify the 10 I Famagu?on?ta personnel that are still unclassified employees to ensure the sustainability of system of care and wraparound.

7. MAY 2013. Children Mental Health Awareness Week. Some of the events for the week is the 2nd annual School Personnel System of Care Ambassador Award, Open House at I Famagu?on-ta, and the Big Awareness Wave.

8. Summer Blast (Late? enrolled children and youth, 4-6 weeks of Summer activities to keep them busy , productive and safe during non?schoo| days.

9. Organizing the 6th Annual System of Care Conference and Training Institute on Mental Health First Aid, training of trainers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Healing Hreats Crisis Center 2012 Highlights

Mission: The Healing Hearts Crisis Center incorporates a holistic approach for individuals who may have experienced a sexual assault. Regardless of when the assault occurred or the age, race or sex of the victim, Healing Hearts offers a supportive, healing atmosphere with caring people to assist them in regaining feelings of safety, control, trust, autonomy and self ?esteem.

Goals/ Objectives:?

1) To improve the collection of evidence in sexual assault cases, which will assist with the successful prosecution of criminal sexual assault cases; improve the use of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.?

2) To ensure that survivors of sexual assault are provided with the necessary support/resources to report and participate in the investigation and prosecution of criminal sexual conduct cases.

Major Accomplishments:

1) Recruitment of the HHCC Program Manager and Social Worker III.

2) Participation in the Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children within the Child Protective Act.

3) HHCC Nurse Examiner achieved certification as a Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE?P).

4) A memorandum of? Understanding between HHCC and the Guam Sexual Assault and Abuse Resource Center? Association (SAARCA) was signed and approved by the Governor of Guam to promote cooperation in the fulfillment of? the mutual interest and objectives between the two organizations and implement programs and services, diversify? funding and decrease sexual violence.

5) Preliminary work began to establish a Sexual Assault Survivors Support Group.

6) HHCC was chosen as DMHSA?s nomination for unit of the year for MagPro Awards.

7) HHCC Nurse Examiner received the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers 2012 Visionary Voice Award and the National Recognition Citation for MagPro.

8) Staff training included: Social Worker ll attended the 26Ih Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment in San Diego, California , On-Call Medical Examiner attended ?Forensic Investigations: From Scene to Courtroom in Kansas City, Missouri, all HHCC attended ?Heart of Healing: Secondary Stress? on Guam, Program Manager attended the National Sexual Assault Conference in Chicago, Illinois, Social Worker lll attended the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children's Child Forensic Interview Clinic in Seattle, Washington
HHCC Nurse Examiner attended the 20lh Annual Scientific Assembly sponsored by the International Association of Forensic Nurses in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

9) 2 peer reviews were conducted in calendar year 2012.

10) Red Flag/ Green Flag presentations were conducted at 9 local elementary schools reaching out to over 2.800 students, teachers, librarians, school aides, school nurses and counselors.

11) Statistics: 156 clients were served in calendar year 2012; 56 medical examinations were conducted; 8 multi-disciplinary team interviews were conducted; 30 Guam Police Department Sexual Assault kits collected.??

?

Objectives:

Source: http://www.pacificnewscenter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30954:dmhsa-healing-hearts-2012-highlights-2013-goals-&catid=45:guam-news&Itemid=156

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Wind Turbines to Provide Renewable Energy at Honda ... - MFRTech

Honda Transmission Mfg. of America, Inc. has announced an agreement with Juhl Wind, Inc. of Pipestone, Minn., to develop, install, and operate two utility scale wind turbines to generate electricity for the plant's operations.

Once the turbines begin operating later this year, the Honda transmission plant in Russells Point, Ohio will be the first major automotive manufacturing facility in the United States to obtain a substantial amount of its electricity directly from wind turbines located on its property, while also reducing CO2 emissions from this renewable energy source.

Studies commissioned by Honda Transmission indicate that wind-generated power is a cost-effective source of electricity for the plant and that the project will not adversely impact local wildlife or the environment.? The two wind turbines will supply approximately 10 percent of the plant's electricity. Based on their location and actual wind speeds, combined output from the two wind turbines is estimated at 10,000-megawatt hours (MWH) per year.



The decision to go forward with the project followed a thorough evaluation of renewable energy sources for the plant, which Honda announced in February 2012. The turbines, with blades approximately 160 feet long, will be installed on 260-foot towers on Honda Transmission property, which is suited for a maximum of two wind turbines.? Last June, the Washington Township Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance to the height limitation for the wind turbines.

"We appreciate the support we have received from the township and our neighbors that will help Honda reduce CO2 emissions," said Gary Hand, vice president of Honda Transmission.? "This is just one of many ways that Honda is seeking to reduce our environmental footprint."

Juhl Wind will be primary developer of the project and own the two turbines. Through agreements with Honda Transmission, Juhl will generate electricity for the plant, and be responsible for the interconnect agreement with the Logan County Electric Cooperative and the power purchase agreement with Buckeye Power, Inc.

"We are honored to work with Honda to provide wind energy at their Russells Point facility," said Corey Juhl, vice president of project development for Juhl Wind. "By installing these two wind turbines next to their manufacturing facility, Honda is making tangible and immediate progress towards reducing CO2 emissions."

Globally, Honda has established voluntary goals to reduce the environmental impact of its products and manufacturing operations by 2020.? This includes a 30 percent reduction in CO2 emissions from Honda products, and significant CO2 reductions from the company's plants and other operations, compared with year 2000 levels.



To achieve these new environmental targets, Honda is accelerating its efforts to advance the environmental performance of its products, and its operations throughout North America.? The wind turbine project is among a number of other initiatives at Honda plants to reduce energy use and waste from manufacturing operations.

Honda Environmental Leadership
Honda is a leader in the development of leading-edge technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, both in its products and its manufacturing operations.

Two Honda automobile plants in Ohio have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) ENERGY STAR certification for the sixth year, while a Honda auto plant in Indiana earned the designation for the first time in 2012, boosted by energy efficiency gains from the start of a second shift of auto production.

Honda of America Mfg. auto plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio have ongoing initiatives to reduce energy consumption. Major areas include installation of energy-efficient equipment, implementing new technologies in auto-body painting systems and lighting efficiency improvements.

Honda leads all automakers with twelve LEED-Certified "Green Buildings" in North America, and 10 of its 14 North American manufacturing facilities are zero-waste to landfill.

Honda of America recently announced plans to begin production of the Accord Hybrid sedan at the Marysville Auto Plant in fall 2013.? This will be the third hybrid model built by Honda in America, joining the Civic Hybrid and Acura ILX produced at Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC in Greensburg, Ind.?



Honda has developed numerous technologies to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions from its products, including the just released 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid, the Fit EV, Civic Natural Gas and the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle.

Honda has also led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles from the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for 15 consecutive years.

About Honda
Honda established operations in America in 1959, and now employs more than 26,000 associates in its U.S. sales, R&D and manufacturing operations with a capital investment of more than $12.5 billion.?

Based on its longstanding commitment to "build products close to the customer" Honda operates 14 major manufacturing facilities in North America, producing a wide range of Honda and Acura automobiles, automobile engines and transmissions, Honda all-terrain vehicles, and power equipment products such as lawn mowers, mini-tillers and general purpose engines, using domestic and globally sourced parts.

Seven Honda auto plants in the region, including four in the U.S., have the capacity to produce 1.63 million automobiles each year. In 2012, 90 percent of the Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were produced in North America..

Honda operates major research and development centers in the U.S. that fully design, develop and engineer many of the products Honda produces in North America.

# # #

For more information, contact:
Ron Lietzke, Honda of America Mfg., 937-644-6627, ron_lietzke@ham.honda.com ?

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The Alternates #1: Define Good

The Alternates #1: Define Good

We're not the first Superheroes, nor are we the first adolescent heroes. We're just experimenting with 'justice.'

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Reckon I'm gonna try for the Beef. Probably won't have his profile finished for the next couple hours, though, so I just know somebody's gonna come along and snag him while I'm gone.

Formerly The Painkiller.

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Comrade
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Welp, guess I'll try to make a sheet for mr. Captain.

Obviously you don't do reservations, just hope you'll keep in mind I'll be writing a sheet. (:P)

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Byte
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Aw yeah. The bros are here first.

Hey, don't worry. I'll take every sheet into consideration. I'll give them a full read, and voice any complaints I have.

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JayZeroSnake
Member for 3 years


Scratch that, we just got our first female audition sheet.

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JayZeroSnake
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